It makes sense that Ruffalo and Marvel would want to lean on a heavyweight of the motion capture world as their films move more and more in this direction. It also makes sense seeing as Mark Ruffalo doesn’t seem to know how things work. Thank goodness he’s getting the help he needs. Now if he could bring in a coach to help him to SPEAK UP, RUFFALO! I shouldn’t need a listening cone to enjoy your films.

On a sidenote, it seems like a waste of a perfectly good Andy Serkis to have him around all that motion-capture equipment and not get a performance from him. Could he be playing Thanos?

]]>In casting news more shocking than Ben Affleck as Batman, comes word today that Joss Whedon has dusted off James Spader and cast him as Ultron, the central villian in The Avengers 2. Which is an action-adventure film. That will make billions of dollars. And will now be out Earth’s Mightiest Heroes fighting James Spader.

In the comics, Ultron the Robot was created by Ant-Man (aka Hank Pym) and becomes a sentient, super-powered being hellbent on the destruction of The Avengers. However for the film iteration, it’s expected that he will be created by Robert Downey Jr.’s Tony Stark. If Whedon hasn’t finalized the Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver casting, might I suggest Jami Gertz and Andrew McCarthy? Makes this sucker a full-on Less Than Zero reunion.

Of course, these are just jokes. This isn’t Spader’s first foray into the Marvel Universe. I think we all remember:

]]>http://www.screenjunkies.com/movies/movie-news/james-spader-yes-that-james-spader-cast-as-ultron-in-the-avengers-2/feed/0spaderman‘Avengers’ Sequel To Be Called ‘Avengers: Age Of Ultron’ And Be About A Sassy Robot Named Ultronhttp://www.screenjunkies.com/tv/tv-news/avengers-sequel-to-be-called-avengers-age-of-ultron-and-be-about-a-sassy-robot-named-ultron/
http://www.screenjunkies.com/tv/tv-news/avengers-sequel-to-be-called-avengers-age-of-ultron-and-be-about-a-sassy-robot-named-ultron/#commentsMon, 22 Jul 2013 16:43:05 +0000http://www.screenjunkies.com/?p=255898I'm assuming Whedon will make him sassy.

]]>Okay, so this one is kinda curvy so pay attention. Joss Whedon announced at Comic-Con that his Avengers sequel will be titled Age of Ultron, which is also the name of a recent Marvel Comics series. But, the movie only shares similarity with the comic in title only. Ultron, itself, is the name of an evil, indestructible robot created by Ant-Man that hates the living shit out of the Avengers. Ant-Man will not appear in the film, rather he will be introduced in his own solo film so Ultron will have a different daddy this time. Whedon has commented, “We’re doing our own version of the origin story of Ultron … We’re crafting our own version of it where his own origin comes more directly from the Avengers we already know about.”

Which likely points to Tony Stark creating the robot with the intentions of it taking on his Iron Manning duties, have it go amok, and then deciding he’d better just continue to Iron Man because Don Cheadle can only do so much. Also, I have a feeling that Vin Diesel will play Giant Man. (MTV)

]]>Because the cast of X-Men: Days Of Future Past isn’t large enough already, Bryan Singer has announced he’s cast American Horror Story’sEvan Peters to play Quicksilver. The mutant is named such based on the punny combo of super-speed and shiny gray tresses.

What makes this story interesting is not the news that Peters beat the guy who plays Pauly Walnuts to the role, but that Joss Whedon just got done telling everyone that he planned to include the character in The Avengers 2. Legally, Singer is entitled to use the character since the rights are owned by both Fox and Marvel but won’t it confuse the baby if we have two Quicksilvers coming by the house? It will be interesting to see how Marvel deals with this. Will they nix their plans completely, or decide that there’s room for two underdeveloped iterations of the classic character? (Bryan Singer’s Twitter)

]]>The news of Robert Downey Jr’s $50 million+ Avengers payday becoming public knowledge is the real-life equivalent of Thor‘s hammer falling from the sky, as it has shaken the Marvel universe.

In comparison to Downey’s deal, the rest of the cast were reportedly paid $200K for their roles in the $1.1 billion blockbuster. Now that Marvel’s looking to execute their sequel options, things are getting interesting. The cast is looking for $5 million upfront and a bigger piece of the back-end while Marvel is allegedly threatening to recast — a tactic they’ve proven works pretty well in the past. The only card the cast has to play is a wild one; Downey himself.

With his contract obligations under his belt, Marvel will have to sweeten the pot if they want their star back for future sequels. But to Marvel’s chagrin, the Avengers are assembling with Downey as the leader. Deadline reports that the actor won’t sign for The Avengers 2 unless his cast mates are fairly compensated. “He’s the only guy with real power in this situation. And balls of steel, too. He’s already sent a message that he’s not going to work for a place where they treat his colleagues like shit,” says a rep who only cares about their percentage.

Personally, I feel like the real talent with Marvel films is behind the camera, and the money should be put on the screen. It doesn’t matter which actor dons the mask. 40% – 60% of these movies are all CGI anyway. As long as Marvel turns out quality films with awesome special effects, the talent will remain irrelevant. The Hulk proved that.

A source confirms to EW that the twin characters Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch will be joining The Avengers 2, which Whedon hinted at recently when he said he was writing a brother-sister duo into the movie. Feige maintains a poker face on that scoop, saying only: “I’m not confirming or denying. The draft could change six months from now.”

The draft could change, of course, but it’s an intriguing update. What exactly does Whedon have in store for The Avengers 2? We’re going to have to sit through four or five post-credit sequences to find out.

]]>Scarlett Johannson was a nice surprise in this past summer’s The Avengers. After hardly registering as Black Widow in Iron Man 2, the character was given proper justice with a meatier role in Marvel’s most recent tentpole. However, it’s a role that almost wasn’t.

In fact, Emily Blunt was initially cast as Black Widow back in 2010 but she was forced to drop out in favor of looking like a stupid dick in the disastrous flop Gulliver’s Travels. If the Daily Mail is to be believed, Blunt may still have her chance to join the Marvel universe. According to the tabloid, both Blunt and Luther star Ruth Wilson are up for the role of Ms. Marvel inAvengers 2: Shawarma Nights.

Between Johansson striking it rich with her sloppy-seconds and Chris Evans nabbing Captain America over Blunt’s husband, John Krasinski, it’s going to be a weird set. If this casting happens, I demand a fight between Black Widow and Ms. Marvel. It’s the only way to relieve the awkward on-set tension. And if they fight in nightgowns, all the better.

]]>After shattering box office records and protecting Earth from invading alien forces, Joss Whedon has agreed to write and direct The Avengers 2. Previously, the Buffy the Vampire Slayer creator had been unclear about whether or not he would return to the franchise but this only makes sense. The first film was Marvel’s biggest commercial and critical success and it seemed that Whedon had fun bringing the characters to the screen.

It also seems that his relationship with Marvel has blossomed from a little over-the-shirt beneath the bleachers to full-on going steady. Whedon is also developing a live-action television show featuring Marvel characters. There’s no word on what that show will be but, one way or the other, this is good news for Eliza Dushku. (EW)